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Slate Belt BridgeConstruction Update

MT. BETHEL – In response to a number of inquiries concerning the status of various projects, state Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton) today offered an update on road construction work being performed throughout the 137th Legislative District. “PennDOT has a number of projects going on simultaneously in our area,” Emrick said. “I want to let drivers know the status of roadwork, and approximately how long they will have to deal with the detours that are in place or are yet to come.”Projects in Progress

Replacement of the Five Points Richmond Road Bridge over Oughoughton Creek in Washington Township. The detour uses Routes 512 and 611. Work should be completed this coming October.

Replacement of the Route 512 bridge in Bangor. Traffic is detoured at High and Erdman streets, and re-routed onto Main Street, Ridge Road, Johnsonville Road and then back onto Route 512. A truck detour is also in place along Routes 191 and 611. Work should be completed by this coming August.

Future Projects

Replacement of the Route 611 bridge over a tributary to Oughoughton Creek in Lower Mount Bethel Township begins on Monday, May 13. Route 611 will be closed throughout the project, and traffic will be detoured on to Mount Pleasant Road, Martins Creek Belvidere Highway and Richmond Road. The project should take one year to complete.

Route 191/Ackermanville Bridge in Washington Township – The project is scheduled to begin sometime in June. The existing bridge over Waltz Creek will be replaced with improvements to the intersection. The project is currently in the bidding phase.

Replacement of the Messinger Street Bridge over Martins Creek, also known as the Bangor Viaduct, is scheduled for next year.

Bangor Freshman pitcher Erin Happel struck out 10 batters, during the Slaters 2-1 win over Pen Argyl in a game played at Bangor Middle School Thursday. The win qualfied the Slaters for District XI play. (See more photos tomorrow) (See more photos below) (Sbtt Photo Larry Cory

Mother's Day at East Bangor UMC

On Sunday, May 12, at the 9:15 a.m. worship service the East Bangor United Methodist Community Church will honor all mothers. A gift will be given to all ladies present. The choir will serve refreshments after the service. Pastor David Goss welcomes the community to attend this special service to celebrate mothers. The church is located at 136 W. Central Ave. (Rt. 512), East Bangor, PA. For more info., call 610-588-4453 or visit ebumc.org.

“Kick Me” sign prank leads to criminal conviction and lawsuit

Harvey Palacio was at work at the Intel plant in Rio Rancho, New Mexico when he became the target of a classic prank, a “Kick Me” sign on his back. As reported by KRQE News 13, the prank led to Intel HR and police involvement in September 2012, followed by a federal lawsuit when Palacio claimed that coworkers kicked him after one placed the sign on his back. When Palacio suspected something, he asked Randy Lehman, an Intel senior staffer if something was on his back. According to the lawsuit, "Lehman said turn around and as Palacio did he saw and heard (another employee) yell out 'Don't read it, just do it'." Court documents state that Lehman then kicked Palacio three times in the buttocks. After that, another coworker, Chris Zeltinger, was asked to help remove the sign, but instead kicked Palacio twice. The lawsuit stated that, "Palacio felt demoralized and assaulted and he began to cry during the drive home. He could not tell his wife because he was so embarrassed and ashamed." Lehman and Zeltinger were eventually fired, convicted of petty misdemeanor battery and ordered to perform 16 hours of community service. Lehman’s attorney, Diego Esquibel, apologized on his client’s behalf saying that he, “Is truly sorry for any shame, sadness or pain the victim felt and his actions were never meant to cause any of those things." Zeltinger did not comment. Palacio, a 19 year Intel employee, said that he faced abuse for months. He claimed the coworker pranks included repeatedly filling his work bag with trash and hiding his clean room suit that he needed to complete his job. The lawsuit against Intel claims that Palacio was the victim of a pattern of racially motivated bullying because he is Filipino, and the company allowed the harassment to go on causing emotional distress. A spokesperson for Intel said that the company is reviewing the lawsuit and did not want to comment further.

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Pen Argyl's Tyler Buskirk is going to make a throw to first base, during the Knights' 5-0 loss to Bangor in a game played Friday night at Bangor Memorial Park. Sbtt Photo Casey Baker

Woman slapped cop to quit smoking

A California woman slapped a policeman in the face - because she wanted to be locked up to help her give up smoking. Etta Lopez, 31, is charged with assaulting a police officer following her drastic bid to quit her habit in Sacromento, California. Deputy Matt Campoy was leaving his shift at the Sacramento County Jail when the woman purposefully blocked his way. "It was totally unprovoked," he said. "All of a sudden she stepped into me and slapped me in the face." Police say Lopez admitted she sat in front of the county jail for hours intent on assaulting an officer to get arrested and be put in jail, where she would be forced to stop smoking. "There's easier ways to stop smoking besides hitting a cop," Roger Spearman, a neighbour, commented.

Treasured Pink Dolphins Disappearing from Hong Kong

Chinese white dolphins, also called pink dolphins, may disappear from the waters off the shore of Hong Kong, a conservation group is warning. The Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society says the number of the pink dolphins in Hong Kong has dropped from 158 in 2003 to 78 in 2011, reports AFP. That figure is expected to be even lower when the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society releases its new report in June. "We risk losing them unless we all take action," society chairman Samuel Hung told AFP. The World Wildlife Fund explains the people of Hong Kong treasure the pink dolphins. They're friendly animals who draw tourists into the waters. But overfishing, water pollution, heavy boat traffic and more coastal development is severely damaging their habitat, according to WWF. A recent viral video has put the plight of the pink dolphin in the spotlight. The video shows a group of pink dolphins helping a mother support the body of her dead calf above water. A boat of tourists watched the heartbreaking scene unfold. "I started to film and it was then that I noticed the dead baby calf," tour guide Ho Tak-Ching told the South China Morning Post. "From its size and color, I guessed it was a newborn. It was so depressing and so very sad. While I was taking the video I couldn't stop myself crying." A Dolphin-watch spokes person told the newspaper the calf likely died when polluted seawater was passed through the mother's milk.